On August 11, 2021, Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) released the Quality of Life for Elderly Index 2021 measuring the quality of life led by the elderly in India. It has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) at the request of EAC-PM.
- The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across Indian States and assesses the overall well-being of the ageing population in India.
Pillars of Index framework:
The index analyzed 45 different indicators across four key domains viz. Financial Well-being, Social Well-being, Health System, and Income Security.
- There were 8 sub-pillars too i.e. Economic Empowerment, Educational Attainment & Employment, Social Status, Physical Security, Basic Health, Psychological Well being, Social Security and Enabling Environment.
Key Highlights from the Report:
i.The index highlights the importance of investing in health, education and employment for young people in order to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people.
ii.Among the 4 domains, the domain of Health System observed the highest national average of 66.97, followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being, 44.7 in Financial Well-being, and 33.03 in Income Security.
- Notably, in Income Security pillar states have performed worse because over half of the states have a score below the national average.
iii.The index also provided ‘Quality of Life for Elderly Scores’ in 4 categories viz. Aged states, Relatively Aged States, Union Territory (UT), and North-East States.
- Rajasthan has topped the ranking of Aged states while Himachal Pradesh is top-scorer in Relatively Aged States.
- The Aged States refer to States with an elderly population of more than 5 million, whereas Relatively Aged States refer to States with an Elderly population of less than 5 million.
- Chandigarh and Mizoram are top-scoring regions in Union Territory (UT) and North-East States category, respectively.
iv.Lowest scorers: Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) scored the lowest 46.16 among UTs. Arunachal Pradesh, among the northeastern states, scored the lowest score with 39.28. In the aged states, Telangana scored the lowest with 38.19 and in relatively aged states categories Gujarat ranked last with a score of 49.
Table Sowing Category-wise Rankings of Quality of Life for Elderly Scores:
| Overall Ranking | States | Scores |
|---|---|---|
| Aged States | ||
| 1 | Rajasthan | 54.61 |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 53.31 |
| 3 | Bihar | 51.82 |
| 10 | Telangana | 38.19 |
| Relatively Aged States | ||
| 1 | Himachal Pradesh | 61.04 |
| 2 | Uttarakhand | 59.47 |
| 3 | Haryana | 58.16 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 49 |
| North-Eastern States | ||
| 1 | Mizoram | 59.79 |
| 2 | Meghalaya | 56 |
| 3 | Manipur | 55.71 |
| 8 | Arunachal Pradesh | 39.28 |
| Union Territories | ||
| 1 | Chandigarh | 63.78 |
| 2 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 58.58 |
| 3 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 55.54 |
| 8 | Jammu and Kashmir | 46.16 |
Need for Quality of Life for Elderly Index:
This index has been released to expand the understanding of needs and opportunities of the elderly population in India. Mainly it acts as a diagnostic tool of ageing population. As it measures the core domains, it will help for policymakers at national and state levels to identify areas that need improvement so that appropriate measures can be taken.
- Also, it promotes healthy competition among States through fair rankings.
Recent Related News:
i.Madhya Pradesh with a score of 64.1 has been ranked 1st in the Anemia Mukt Bharat Index 2020-21. Odisha (59.3) came 2nd followed by Himachal Pradesh (57.1) in the 3rd position.
ii.According to the ‘Ease of Living Index 2020’ released by Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) – Bengaluru (Karnataka) with a score of 66.7 has been ranked as India’s most liveable capital city followed by Chennai, Tamil Nadu at No. 2, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh at No. 3.
About Institute for Competitiveness (IFC):
India Headquarter– Gurugram, Haryana
Honorary Chairman– Professor Amit Kapoor
About Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM)
It is an independent body constituted to give advice on economic and related issues to the Government of India, specifically to the Prime Minister.
Present Composition– Dr. Bibek Debroy (Chairman), Ratan P. Watal (Member Secretary), Dr. Sajjid Chinoy (Part-Time Member), Dr. Anantha Nageswaran (Part-Time Member), Neelkanth Mishra (Part-Time Member) and Nilesh Shah (Part-Time Member)
Headquarter– New Delhi
